SMCF Smartphone App!

SMCF members, have you ever wanted to check the latest schedule and sign in or out of a class? Well guess what… THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!

We have created a custom app that will work on the iPhone and Android platform to make your life easier by connecting you with your MindBody account.

This app is available as a free download in the App Store (link to iPhone app) and the Android marketplace (link to Android app).

Using this app, members of SMCF will be able to:

  • View the most updated schedule
  • See how many spots are available in each class
  • Sign up for a class
  • Remove yourself from a class if you realize you can’t make it
  • View your payment history
  • View your visit history

The app also includes a map to our location, contact info, and direct links to the SMCF website, SMCF FaceBook page, and the CrossFit mainsite.

Here are a few screenshots from the app:

 

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Endurance Success

One of SMCF’s own, Arnold Cope, competed in his 4th 70.3 mi triathlon in Knoxville on Sunday, May 5, 2013. The Revolution3 race is a huge event, drawing professional athletes from all across the world.

Athletes began their day entering the COLD Tennessee River (52 deg – felt like 40) near Calhoun’s Restaurant for a 1.2 mile swim. They exited the water across from Neyland Stadium and started their wet and dangerous 56 mile bike ride out of the city and toward Alcoa. They then returned to Knoxville and transitioned to a 13.1 mile run through UT campus and adjacent neighborhoods culminating with a spectacular finish in the heart of World’s Fair Park.

Arnold was 215th overall coming out of the water. He moved up to 191st place by the end of the bike ride.  He had an excellent transition from the bike to the run and was able to pass quite a few people during the 13.1 mile run, finishing in 164th place overall. He ended up 21st in his division, with a total time of 6hr 33 min.

This was Arnold’s 4th 70.3 mile triathlon. He has also completed 2 full-distance Ironman events! Arnold’s goal with adding CrossFit to his training regimen was to add strength that would allow him to transition more effectively and be stronger near the end. His results testify to the fact that the high-intensity movements that we do in CrossFit have not only helped his strength, but have also increased his stamina, both mentally and physically.

After the race, Arnold and Evelyn had the priviledge of meeting the 2010 female Ironman World Champion, Mirinda Carfrae.

Way to go, Arnold! You make all of us at SMCF proud!

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Rich Froning’s Shorts!

Pretty catchy headline, if I do say so myself. Besides our various certification certificates, we now have something new hanging in the lobby to be proud of.

The fittest man on earth has donated a pair of his shorts to SMCF that he wore in the 2010 Reebok CrossFit Games. It makes them even more special to know that a large sum of money was offered for this exact pair of shorts at last years Games.

Special thanks to our adopted son, Donavan DeGrie, for facilitating the personalized gift. Also, thanks to Jack Wood at Glenstone Galleries in Maryville for the beautiful mounting/framing job.

Look left the next time you drop by the box.

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Summer Schedule Changes

Based on attendance data over the last few months and requests from our members, we will be modifying the daily schedule slightly as the end of school draws near.

Beginning next Monday (April 29, 2013), we will discontinue the 3:30pm class offering. We will be adding a 5:30pm class on Fridays. All other classes will remain the same.

Below is a complete schedule of the times during which serious work will be going on at Smoky Mountain CrossFit. See you there!

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UltraCool Shirts

SMCF tees have flown off the shelf, so we will be placing another order. The local company that makes our shirts, Meltdown Graphics, has discovered an even more awesome shirt than the ones we’ve been using.

The material for the new shirts will be still be the same soft, quick-drying type material as our current shirts. However, they will be even ligher (3.2 oz blend instead of 4.3 oz). The new shirts will come in a men’s and ladies’s cut and will still be $20 ea, tax included. We will also be offering a new Bella brand ladies tank top.

You will be able to pre-order the color, size, and style that you want. Check out the images below for help with ordering. We will extend the ordering period through Monday, April 29, to give our Saturday visitors a chance to order. By the way, there is a Speed, Power, and Agility Clinic this Saturday (Apr 20) at 10am. Cost: $10

To order, you may stop by the box; the order forms are hanging on the whiteboard. You may also text your order to Brian (865-406-4492). Please include: Name, Style, Size, & Color.

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CrossFit Endurance Certification

Brian & Brian

Brian obtained the CrossFit Endurance (CFE) Certification on the weekend of March 16-17, 2013. The seminar was held at CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, TN.

The course was fortunate to have Brian MacKenzie, founder of CrossFit Endurance, heading up the seminar staff.

CFE is a sports training program dedicated to developing power and speed – critical components to success in  the endurance world. One of the primary focuses of CFE is eliminating unnecessary volume of training, while increasing intensity.

It was also taught that running has become the most dangerous sport (79% injury rate), up from 20% before 1970 – when the Nike running shoe was invented. The “heel strike” running method was facilitated by more cushioning at the back of running shoes. However, our bodies weren’t designed to land on our heels. Part of the CFE seminar was dedicated to improving running efficiency among all participants. Each attendee was videoed running at the start of the course. The videos were shown frame-by-frame and corrective advice was given for improvements.

The traditional long-slow-distance (LSD) approach to long-term efforts is to begin by ramping up the volume (miles). Once the miles are being met, intensity is sometimes introduced (intervals, hills, etc.). Only the best of the best ever focus on technique.

The CFE philosophy flips this approach upside down. The first step (as in everything in CF) is to teach the proper technique. Just like setting up properly for a deadlift is important, so is learning how to run properly and safely. The 2nd step is to increase intensity. The final step is to increase volume.

The base of the CFE philosophy is to start with CrossFit training (3-5 days per week). Additional sport-specific training would be in addition. For example, a runner that is preparing for a marathon would run 3 days: one day of short interval sprints, one day of long intervals (~1 mile/interval), and one longer day of a tempo or time trial effort. The overall mileage per week would likely be half of the traditional training plans.

SMCF will begin offering CFE classes beginning over the next month or two. The plan is to start with a Saturday seminar that teaches the basics about CFE, teaches a few running efficiency drills, and includes a workout. The next step would be to offer a regularly scheduled weeknight session each week that teaches more details and drills. Homework would be given to complete before the next week.

Let us know if you have interest in learning how to be a better runner or would like to improve your endurance.

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Nicole Has Fallen…

…But She Got Back Up!

If you know Nicole, you know that one of her least favorite CF activities is box jumps. Not because she can’t do it, but because she’s had a long-standing fear of them. You can imagine that she wasn’t too pleased to see the 13.2 WOD which included sets of 15 jumps on a 20″ box!

Fortunately, she faced her fear and completed 13.2 as prescribed (Rx) yesterday. She finished with 5 complete rounds (150 total reps), which included 25 shoulder-to-overhead (75 lbs), 50 deadlifts (75 lbs), and 75 box jumps!

Nicole said, “As I watched my name go up on the whiteboard for 5 rounds completed I  saw this written on the door: ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength’ Phillipians 4:13.”

“One year ago I would have remained on the floor allowing the pain to convince me to never try again. One year ago I would have walked away with a bruised ego and pride would have won. Today I left knowing I had come face to face with the fear that held me bound. My fear of falling had to be met head on and today it was conquered.”

Way to go, Nicole! Check out Nicole’s blog article about this event here.

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Fundamentals for $40

For a limited time, Smoky Mountain CrossFit is offering a promotional rate of $40 (tax included) to allow you to give CrossFit a try without committing to a full month.

Every new athlete that joins SMCF participates in a structured set of classes known as Fundamentals. There are a total of 4 individual sessions that teach 40+ of the most common CrossFit movements that show up in daily WODs (workout of the day).

Each session follows the same structure that is used for our regular classes: Warm-up, Mobility, Strength/Skill, Conditioning, and Cool-down/Stretching. At the completion of the 4 Fundamentals classes, you will be eligible to join in with any of the regularly-scheduled group classes.

The sessions are labeled 1 through 4, to help us keep track of skills that have been covered. However, the sessions are designed to be stand-alone classes and can be done in any order. Most athletes complete these classes over a 2-week period. This provides sufficient time to recover from residual muscle soreness before the next session, and will allow the body to adapt to an increased workload.

A new series of Fundamentals classes are kicking off on Monday, March 18, 2013. Here is a list of the upcoming opportunities to get started:

  • Monday, March 18 – 7:00am – Session 1
  • Monday, March 18 – 7:30pm – Session 1
  • Wednesday, March 20 – 7:00am – Session 2
  • Thursday, March 21 – 7:30pm – Session 2
  • Monday, March 25 – 7:00am – Session 3
  • Monday, March 25 – 7:30pm – Session 3
  • Wednesday, March 27 – 7:00am – Session 4
  • Thursday, March 28 – 7:30pm – Session 4

Click here to sign up for any of the sessions online. You can pay your fee at your first visit. We can work with your schedule if these class times don’t fit. If you have questions about getting started, please contact Brian at 865-406-4492 or brian@smokymountaincrossfit.com

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Scale Smash Saturday

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Fitness Challenge

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